Educational Credentials, Perceived EducationWork Alignment and Employment Status Among Youth Records in Sierra Leone

Abstract

Background: Earlier versions of this article contained unsupported sampling claims, duplicated effect sizes, inconsistent duration statistics and an unstable multivariable specification. This reanalysis uses the supplied cleaned microdata and treats data quality as part of the inferential problem. Methods: The workbook contains 1,342 records. Employment status was analysed using Firth bias-reduced logistic regression because no employed respondent lacked internet access, creating complete separation. The primary model used education level, age, coded gender, coded marital status, province, internet access and a three-item perception index. Education years were examined separately. Recorded non-employment duration was modelled exploratorily among 922 strictly eligible records using a Gamma log-link model. Results: Employment was recorded for 415 respondents (30.9%). The perception items were highly redundant (alpha = 0.961; pairwise r = 0.871-0.912) and were combined. In the bias-reduced model (n = 1,339), higher perception-index scores were strongly associated with employment (OR = 18.33, 95% CI 12.04-27.89), diploma education differed from no education (OR = 2.04, 95% CI 1.24-3.35), age was inversely associated after adjustment (OR = 0.72 per year), and the Eastern Province estimate was positive relative to Northern Province (OR = 1.78). Internet access produced an extreme estimate because it perfectly separated the outcome and is not interpreted as a stable population effect. Model AUC was 0.935; HosmerLemeshow p = 0.068. Conclusion: The reanalysis supports conditional associations within the supplied records but not causal or nationally representative conclusions. The dataset contains structural dependencies and coding conflicts that materially limit substantive interpretation. Recovering the original questionnaire, sampling protocol and source records is necessary before external publication.